soon to be new WS6 owner
03-15-2005, 10:08 PM
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soon to be new WS6 owner hey guys,
cool forum you got here.
lemme introduce myself: my name is Matt and i work at a Cadillac & HUMMER dealership. yes i get all the cool gm hook ups like free acees to Service Information and VIN histories online so if you ask nicely i can help you out with whatever I can.
Well, heres me soon to be new car:
Its a '98 WS6. Auto (oh well
), t-tops, changer, yadda yadda
As you can see took a tap to the front. Its priced for a steal with a clean title so I put my deposit down on it today and driving out to the detroir area (from chicago) to go check it out. Hoping it doesn't have frame damage. If it needs a visit to a frame shop, i will be turning around and going home empty handed.
Anyway, I know a little bit about these cars, but I do have a few questions that maybe you guys could help on:
- According to a GM training video I watched, the '98-'00 F-cars were supposed to come with a Torsen differential. I vin decoded this WS6 and it G80 Limited Slip. Service Information show pics of it and it looks like a posi. So how come it doesnt have the Torsen?
- I really want a 6 speed, but can pass up the deal on this auto. Whats involved in swapping the auto for a T56? Rough estimate on $$$?
- Whats the stock rater HP and quarter mile times? Actually if you could just point me in the right direction of like a review by car and driver or something that has all the cars specs, that would be sweet!
- Know and good sites that have tech articles on stuff like upgrading the rear suspension and the likes?
- Whats your opinion on the GM Performance Parts LS6 Conversion Kit?
I'm sure I will have more questions later, but thats enough to get started. Thanks in advance for all your advice and I hope I can help you guys out if you ever need it.
Later!
cool forum you got here.
lemme introduce myself: my name is Matt and i work at a Cadillac & HUMMER dealership. yes i get all the cool gm hook ups like free acees to Service Information and VIN histories online so if you ask nicely i can help you out with whatever I can.
Well, heres me soon to be new car:
Its a '98 WS6. Auto (oh well
), t-tops, changer, yadda yaddaAs you can see took a tap to the front. Its priced for a steal with a clean title so I put my deposit down on it today and driving out to the detroir area (from chicago) to go check it out. Hoping it doesn't have frame damage. If it needs a visit to a frame shop, i will be turning around and going home empty handed.
Anyway, I know a little bit about these cars, but I do have a few questions that maybe you guys could help on:
- According to a GM training video I watched, the '98-'00 F-cars were supposed to come with a Torsen differential. I vin decoded this WS6 and it G80 Limited Slip. Service Information show pics of it and it looks like a posi. So how come it doesnt have the Torsen?
- I really want a 6 speed, but can pass up the deal on this auto. Whats involved in swapping the auto for a T56? Rough estimate on $$$?
- Whats the stock rater HP and quarter mile times? Actually if you could just point me in the right direction of like a review by car and driver or something that has all the cars specs, that would be sweet!
- Know and good sites that have tech articles on stuff like upgrading the rear suspension and the likes?
- Whats your opinion on the GM Performance Parts LS6 Conversion Kit?
I'm sure I will have more questions later, but thats enough to get started. Thanks in advance for all your advice and I hope I can help you guys out if you ever need it.
Later!
03-15-2005, 10:21 PM
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That poor car! 
It looks like the passenger roof top is lower than the d/s, but that could be an illusion from the damage, or the ground it's sitting on. How could you tell if it had subtle frame twist without taking it to a shop?
Can't answer most of your questions, but this http://www.installuniversity.com//in...sity/index.htm is a great site for how to's and such.
gl
It looks like the passenger roof top is lower than the d/s, but that could be an illusion from the damage, or the ground it's sitting on. How could you tell if it had subtle frame twist without taking it to a shop?
Can't answer most of your questions, but this http://www.installuniversity.com//in...sity/index.htm is a great site for how to's and such.
gl
03-15-2005, 10:59 PM
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I'll check out that site! Thanks!
I'm willing to bet that its the ground its sitting on because the whole car is dipping into a puddle on the right front tire, its a gravel lot so nothing it level.
The body shop manager at my work is giving me a copy of his "crash book" which is a book that has a bunch of specs and measurements for collision repair. Basically I can take a bunch of measurement and compare them to what they are supposed to be and see how far off it is. Also, I'm going to measure the wheelbase (center of front wheel to center or back wheel) on both side and make sure the the right front isn't pushed back.
I'm expecting it to be a bumper, hood, fender, headlight, radiator support, radiator, condenser, windshield, airbags affair. If its much more that that I might be walking away from it. I really don't know what I'm dealing with until I get there and check it out myself. My tape measure is going to be my tell-tale friend on this one. The salesman at the place I'm buying it from says that the strut tower looks untouched and that only the wheel well apron is crunched. Then again, hes only a salesman so no credibility there.
I'll keep you posted on what it turns out to be. Going out on saturday morning!!!
I'm willing to bet that its the ground its sitting on because the whole car is dipping into a puddle on the right front tire, its a gravel lot so nothing it level.
The body shop manager at my work is giving me a copy of his "crash book" which is a book that has a bunch of specs and measurements for collision repair. Basically I can take a bunch of measurement and compare them to what they are supposed to be and see how far off it is. Also, I'm going to measure the wheelbase (center of front wheel to center or back wheel) on both side and make sure the the right front isn't pushed back.
I'm expecting it to be a bumper, hood, fender, headlight, radiator support, radiator, condenser, windshield, airbags affair. If its much more that that I might be walking away from it. I really don't know what I'm dealing with until I get there and check it out myself. My tape measure is going to be my tell-tale friend on this one. The salesman at the place I'm buying it from says that the strut tower looks untouched and that only the wheel well apron is crunched. Then again, hes only a salesman so no credibility there.
I'll keep you posted on what it turns out to be. Going out on saturday morning!!!
03-16-2005, 10:58 AM
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Also, you might need a battery, bumper support, fog light(s), fog light brackets, plastic inner fender, the traction control assembly looks damaged, also the thick wire harness runs over that right fender under the hood. Make sure none of the wires are severed. A nice project for someone. Good luck! 
P.S. Edit: looked at the photos again. You might consider that car not having ac. It looks like the dryer and some of the hard lines are done for. Turn signal assembly brackets, headlight assembly, motor. and lid. Maybe you could do with out the traction control and just mount the throttle cable to the throttle body like a car w/o tc would have. Save some money if you go with out ac or the traction. It will offset some of the costs for the pile of things you WILL need to make it nice again.
P.S. Edit: looked at the photos again. You might consider that car not having ac. It looks like the dryer and some of the hard lines are done for. Turn signal assembly brackets, headlight assembly, motor. and lid. Maybe you could do with out the traction control and just mount the throttle cable to the throttle body like a car w/o tc would have. Save some money if you go with out ac or the traction. It will offset some of the costs for the pile of things you WILL need to make it nice again.
Last edited by FIREHAWK#608; 03-16-2005 at 11:11 AM.
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03-16-2005, 09:47 PM
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Hard to see any frame/chassis work that would be needed in those pics.
But let's not discourage him. That car is more than salvagable, it just needs someone who wants to do it and doesn't care about return on investment because they have no plans of geting rid of it.
The numbers can only dwindle now. Let's try to limit that as much as we can.
But let's not discourage him. That car is more than salvagable, it just needs someone who wants to do it and doesn't care about return on investment because they have no plans of geting rid of it.
The numbers can only dwindle now. Let's try to limit that as much as we can.
03-17-2005, 05:32 AM
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I'm paying $4500 for the car. I work for a Gm dealer so i get cost+15% on any new parts i need and can buy alot of parts off ebay too. Labor is free and we ( my dad and I decided to buy the car as a 50/50 partnership) are very capable of doing the body work ourselves minus the paint which we have a guy who does that for us. this car fixed blue books for $12 and can prolly sell for $14k by looking at autotrader. Gonna keep it for about a year, my dad has intentions to sell it and make a profit, i have intentions of buying him out of his half of the partnership
03-17-2005, 02:02 PM
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Personally, I think that the '96 to early '01 WS6 rims are the most beautiful wheels ever made in mass production. 
I hope he keeps those wheels. Aside from the engine, that's the best part about the car.
I hope he keeps those wheels. Aside from the engine, that's the best part about the car.
03-17-2005, 07:05 PM
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Yeah im not gonna waste my time changing the wheels. Factory chrome is the best quality chrome wheel you can buy. I only like factory finished wheels cuz the aftermarket and do-it-yourself finishes only last a year in the elements. Oh yeah its a clean title like i said in the first post.
Now what module did you say looked trashed?
Now what module did you say looked trashed?
03-17-2005, 07:20 PM
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Take a look at this parts exploded view:
It looks in the picture like the two extensions of the frame rail are quite narrowly spaced, like in line with the fog lights. I think the car took the hit above and to the left of the corresponding frame rail. Even if the extension of the frame rail that supports the bumper is a little tweaked, thats no biggie. I'm just concerned that the frame rail portion thats welded to the strut tower might be bent. If so, body and suspension will never line up properly and I'll be walking away from this one and going back on my original hunt for a '90-'93 5.0 Mustang ( I don't like fords but those mustangs are cheap, fast, and easier to work on than an F-body).
I'm just gonna stay optimistic and hope for the best.
It looks in the picture like the two extensions of the frame rail are quite narrowly spaced, like in line with the fog lights. I think the car took the hit above and to the left of the corresponding frame rail. Even if the extension of the frame rail that supports the bumper is a little tweaked, thats no biggie. I'm just concerned that the frame rail portion thats welded to the strut tower might be bent. If so, body and suspension will never line up properly and I'll be walking away from this one and going back on my original hunt for a '90-'93 5.0 Mustang ( I don't like fords but those mustangs are cheap, fast, and easier to work on than an F-body).
I'm just gonna stay optimistic and hope for the best.
03-17-2005, 07:37 PM
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Originally Posted by speedshifter
Yeah im not gonna waste my time changing the wheels. Factory chrome is the best quality chrome wheel you can buy. I only like factory finished wheels cuz the aftermarket and do-it-yourself finishes only last a year in the elements. Oh yeah its a clean title like i said in the first post.
Now what module did you say looked trashed?
Now what module did you say looked trashed?
03-17-2005, 07:45 PM
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Originally Posted by speedshifter
woops sorry.
ill just call them "shiny" LOL
blacked out z06 rims would look badass i will admit, rather spend my money elsewhere tho
ill just call them "shiny" LOL
blacked out z06 rims would look badass i will admit, rather spend my money elsewhere tho
https://ls1tech.com/forums/showpost....98&postcount=4
IMO if I had a white car... mm those look so so very hot.
03-17-2005, 08:00 PM
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that black spoiler looks badass on the white car. im really into sleeper looks tho. i like when i take someone and then get the HOLY **** look on their face
03-17-2005, 08:41 PM
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That car is not sleeper, unless you leave it looking mauled or something. A big wing, hourglass figure and lucious curves, polished 5 spokes, 4 gaping holes in the front ready to ingest anything that gets in it's way, reminding one of a bird of prey, it's not subtle, and won't surprise anyone except ricers.
The Camaro is a sleeper, looking like a boring 2 door passenger car (except for the shades of Ferrari present if you get it in red with a flat hood and remove the front grill and look at it from the right angle. lol).
The Mustang could be a sleeper if it was actually made to go fast - because they don't. So a Mustang could be as in your face looking as you wanted and it would still be a sleeper, especially the 5.slows. lol
The Camaro is a sleeper, looking like a boring 2 door passenger car (except for the shades of Ferrari present if you get it in red with a flat hood and remove the front grill and look at it from the right angle. lol).
The Mustang could be a sleeper if it was actually made to go fast - because they don't. So a Mustang could be as in your face looking as you wanted and it would still be a sleeper, especially the 5.slows. lol
